Well I don’t think anyone is talking about baseball. This is a football decision with football money. ESPN is not paying to air baseball games. Oops, they put baseball games on ESPN+.
It’s not driving the bus, but they do want content-content-content.
They’d be in a lot better shape in this regard (and more importantly in basketball) if they’d taken my advice to add a couple more non-FB teams.
Saint Louis, Dayton and VCU all have baseball. And good basketball.
Just sayin’.
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If I was arseno, I’d invite LaTech, Boise st, Col st and San Diego st. La Tech and Tulane would be a good rival game.
I assume that will be their conference crossover game.
SA is an average college market if anything unless UT or A&M comes to town. UTSA is slowly inching to playing on campus.
Texas State draws flies.
I can see this backfiring. The MWC could respond with SMU and UTSA as mentioned above. That would leave only 1 of the top 5 AAC schools, then should Navy decide enough and go indy, there are only 6 left which would leave a dead conference without a bid to March Madness (conferences need 8 continuous teams to be a qualified conference for certain bids I believe per NCAA rules).
After the 3 leave, there will be a noticeable drop in AAC TV revenue which would cause it to lose its power over the MWC. the MWC could even get a boost with two Texas schools.
SMU watched TCU become prominent in the MWC and may see that as something they could also do.
UTSA has at least shown the capacity for good attendance under the right circumstances. They were at or above 30,000 for the first couple of years. They just need to win.
I don’t think Texas State has much draw, except for being in Texas.
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They should have a “Poach Off.”
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I think the only way this would work is if you give those schools a window of X years where they can leave without penalty.
Boise would be very hesitant to do this otherwise if they think they’ve got a shot at the Big 12 I’m guessing.
Aresco seems really good at his job, but you are always limited by the hand you are dealt to an extent. I hope he can pull it off.
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Was there any mention the AAC approached these 4 MWC schools as a group before? (not just Boise)
I love this move for AAC 1.0 when it was a “no brainer” but it feels @ 3 years 2 late now.
I would be adding UTSA and UAB regardless. Let the MWC schools decide then go from there.
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Jeramiah Dickey (ex AD for Development, etc.) is running the Athletic Dept. at Boise State.
Had a conversation with him at the Peach Bowl and asked, point blank, “What do we have to do to get into a P5 conference.” He gave me the best answer, and we had a great conversation. Fortunate that we had a relationship when I was in college and felt we were able to speak candidly.
All of that to say, Boise knows what they are doing. He isn’t going to jump ship to AAC if he’s holding out for a B12 invite (assuming they expand to 14 teams). If he goes into the AAC, and then in a year gets a B12 invite, it costs them millions.
Boise is in a great place right now. Patience.
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Jeremiah is such a great guy…he will succeed wherever he goes !
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100%
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All of a sudden Aresco gets off his behind and starts working? I don’t buy it.
I don’t think Aresco has been on his behind at any point throughout this process. If anything, it’s likely that he’s out over his skis, trying to poach schools that have no interest in the AAC. It’s like he’s a run down with bases loaded in the bottom of the 9th, and he keeps swinging at Ball Four.
He’s also best friends with Mack Rhoades. He’ll do what Mack advises him…with the blessing of his superiors I assume.
“stay at 10 football-playing members should a couple schools bolt for the AAC.
Thompson wouldn’t say which two are most apt to entertain the AAC’s advances, but several sources inside and outside the conference confirmed they are Air Force and Colorado State — and not San Diego State or Boise State, which seem content to stay in the Mountain West”
-AFA,Colorado State, UAB +1 = AAC at 12. Army for football only?
Army/Navy/Air Force play each other as AAC members and AF/Navy gain a 4th OOC game.
The complication: CBS owns the rights to “Commander and Chief Trophy” games.
AF and CSU could strengthen their programs in the AAC and make a little more money.
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Well, the factors are:
TV - Aresco says it should be about the same. Thompson is saying it’ll be cut to about the same as the MWC. I think it’ll go down but I could make a case for why it wouldn’t. That’ll make a difference, one way or the other.
NY6/CFP12 - The AAC has enjoyed an advantage. Would they still enjoy an advantage with the loss and restock? It’s an open question. My prior is that they wouldn’t, but those numbers from the Tulane guy suggest so.
Future Losses - If you go to the AAC, you’re betting that Memphis sticks around If you stay with the MWC, you’re betting Boise State doesn’t get the call. Which is more likely? Which hurts more? I think the advantage here is with the AAC. Losing Memphis hurts, but the MWC losing BSU hurts way more. I think Memphis is more likely to get the invite than Boise. If Boise gets the call, then I think Memphis gets it with them, but the inverse is not necessarily true.
Future Big 12 Invite - If the Big 12 goes to 16, Colorado State would almost certainly be on the table as an option. Does going to the AAC help or hurt that? (My guess is help)
No Boise State - Boise State’s presence in the conference is a double-edged sword. If Boise State goes then the MWC becomes a lot less valuable. But with them inside the conference, the internal politics are unhealthy. If they go east, they don’t have to deal with that crap. The AAC worked well as a cohesive unit, as far as G5 conferences go. The MWC has had lawsuits (and even before Boise they had BYU to deal with).
Replacements - If Memphis and Boise State both go to the Big 12 (for example), the replacement candidates for the AAC are a lot less bad. The only school in the MWC footprint are NMSU and UTEP. Outside that, you’re expanding into Texas trying to convince Rice and North Texas to make the jump west (a sell which becomes harder without Boise).
Between AFA/CSU, who is deciding? - I think the two stick together. I think if we the AAC had invited Colorado State along with Air Force at the outset they might have gone. So what does Colorado State want? I think of the two Colorado State is more likely to want to stay put. Air Force has a more national following better represented by the AAC, and of course the Navy rivalry. Colorado State becomes more of a fish out of water.
On the whole, I think the fundamentals (TV deal, prestige, risks etc) do favor making the jump. But the MWC has status quo bias here, and I could see that carrying the day.
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